Cigarette package



March 1958 H. JANSON 2,826,295

' CIGARETTE PACKAGE Filed July 30 1956 INVENTOR. Harry Jansen JATTORNFY United States Patent 2,826,295 CIGARETTE PACKAGE Harry Janson, Bronxville, N. Y. Application July 30, 1956, Serial No. 600,916

7 Claims. (Cl. 20641.2)

This invention relates to cigarette packages and particu- =larly to that type comprising a relatively hard closed box and a foil-wrapped packet slidable within the box.

The invention contemplates the provision of a hard box adapted for economical manufacture by machinery employed for the soft packaging of cigaretes, without extensive alterations in the machinery.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a hard box having a closure flap adapted to be opened di rectly by the fingers or automatically by a pull tape or the like attached to the enclosed packet, the closure flap being provided with means to brace the box and thereby to prevent undue distortion thereof under ordinary stresses, said means serving also to control the opening and closing movements of the closure flap and while preventing accidental opening of the flap, also avoiding the need for excessive manipulation of the closure flap or the necessity for fumbling with said flap in opening or closing the box.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a one-piece box in which the bracing means controlling the movement of the closure flap is an integral part of the box and is separated by a slit from the adjacent part of the blank from which the box is folded, the box being provided with means to maintain the closure flap in the proper position at all times for easy closing even when said flap is fully open.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a one-piece hard box having means for easily and automatically opening the closure flap on the Withdrawal of the contained cigarette packet, which means is not likely to get out of order and the easy closing movement of which is assured, the box being economical in paper and adapted for manufacture in large quantities by wrapping machinery, thereby combining the advantages of a hard box with the economy of a soft wrapper.

The various objects of the invention will be clear from the description which follows and from the drawing, in which: I

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the package except for the customary cellophane wrapping.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the closure flap open and the interior packet withdrawn to the limited extent permitted by the form of flap shown, partof the foil at the top of the packet being removed to expose cigarettes, and part of the box being cut away to show the lower portion of the packet.

Fig. 3 is'a longitudinal sectional view of Fig. l with part of the foil wrapper at the side of the packet removed.

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the package of Fig. 2, the box being tilted to dispense some of the cigarettes by gravity.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a slightly modified form of the invention, wherein the extension lip on the closure flap is hinged to said flap to open widely and to permit withdrawal of the packet to an unlimited extent.

Fig. 6 is an end elevational view with the closure flap partly cut away, of another modified form of the invention,

"ice

wherein the locking extensions are widened and folded initially on to the closed closure flap.

Fig. 7 is an elevational view of the blank from which the box of Figs. 1-5 is made, and Fig. 8 is a similar fragmentary view of the end portion of the blank for the box of Fig. 6, the fold lines of the box being shown in dashdot lines.

In the practical embodiment of the invention shown by way of example in Figs. 1-4, the box 10 is made of relatively stilf paper from the blank 11 of Fig. 7 by folding the blank about the fold lines to wrap the blank about the cigarette packet 12. Said packet may be of any of the well known types such as one having a sheet 13 of metal foil wrapped around it. The front wall 14 of the box is folded on to the front of the packet into a position at right angles to the bottom wall 15 about the fold line 16, while the rear wall 17 is similarly folded about the fold line 18. The side walls 19 and 20 project from the front wall and are folded about the lines 21 and 22 respectively, while the side walls 23 and 24 project from the rear wall 17 and are folded about the lines 25 and 26.

At that end of the blank which forms the closure flap 27 and its extension lip 28, bracing and guiding auxiliary side flaps, each preferably in the form of a quadrantal sector, project from the respective side edges of the closure flap and are separated from the adjacent main side flaps 23, 24 of the box by the respective slits 31, 32, to form free edges on the auxiliary flaps. The lip 23 folds about the line 33 and the flap 27 folds about the line 34. The

auxiliary side flap 29 folds about the line 35 which is a.

continuation of the fold line 25 and the auxiliary flap 30 folds about the line 36.

At the other end of the blank; the inner side flap 19 is extended to provide a locking extension 46 having an inclined terminal edge 37, which starts at the outer edge of theflap 19 at ,a point 39 in substantial alignment with the top edge 41 of the front wall and which terminates in 21 preferably rounded portion 42 extending beyond said edge 41. A similar extension 43 is provided at the corresponding end of the other inner side flap 20, said extensions 40 and 43 serving to lock the auxiliary flaps 29 and 30 in positions wherein the outer faces thereof are coplanar with and engage the inner faces of the respective inner side wall flaps or thicknesses-19 and 20 even when the closure flap is completely open. Said extensions thereby maintain the auxiliary flaps from swinging out of control when the closure flap is opened to the positions shown in Figs. 4 and 5, as will be explained more fully hereinafter.

In the form of the locking extensions shown in Figs. 6 and 8, said extensions 44 and 45 are considerably widened and are folded about the respective fold lines 46 and 47 down on to the top of the closed closure flap to remain in that position initially (Fig. 6) and until the box is opened for the first time. Opening of the box raises said locking extensions into the operative positions thereof wherein they are coplanar respectively with the inner side flaps 19 and 20. The extra width of the locking extensions permits the closure flap to be swung through a greater angle and opened further than is possible with the narrower extensions 40 and 43. When the entire closed package is wrapped in transparent moisture proof material such as cellophane or the like, as its quite customary, the closure flap as well as'the extensions 44, 45 are held down.

The side flaps 19 and 23 are adhesively secured together in overlapping relation to form a side fiap of double thickness as the blank is folded about the packet 12 to form the box. The flap 19 is arranged inside of the flap 23, and the flap 20 arranged inside of the flap 24 and adhesively secured thereto. The packet 12 carries a length of tape 48 of any suitable material, the tape being preferably secured to the front face of the packet and extending outside of the closure'flap -for easy access thereto. The lip 28 extending from the closure flap is secured at its side edges to said flap as by means of adhesive or the like -in that form :of the invention shown in Figs. 1-4, therebyacting as astop to engage the end of-thepacket and to limit the -extent:to which-the packet may be withdrawn fromthe box'by the tape. In-the'form of Fig. 5, thelip 28may swing 'freely about the-fold line 33 out of theway-to-permit the packet to'be withdrawn from the box as much as desired or completely.

The package 16 has been shown withoutany decorative covering or moisture proof wrapper, which wrapper isnsuallytorn open to expose the top of ithepackage, or which is entirely removed by the user. T he free end of the tape is exposed in the package 10 and the locking extensions 40, 43 may alsobe exposed. The extensions being on the inner side flaps or thicknesses 19 and .20 respectively, they serve'to engage and to guide the quaddrantal auxiliary side flaps 29 and v30 at the side of the closure flap. The arcuate edges of the auxiliary "flaps remain in engagement with the inner face of the front wall 14 of the box during the entire opening and closing movements or the closure 'flap and thereby 'brace the front and rear walls to make a strong package resistant to undesired movement of the. closure flap and distortion of the box. Hence the auxiliary side flaps resist accidental opening of the closure fiap and also =resist twisting thereof by controlling the movement of the closure flap. Said auxiliary flaps further act to close off the sides of the closure flap and prevent cigarettes from 'falling' out of the packet sideways whenloose. Thelower portions of said auxiliary fflaps are maintained ,at all times in position to move into the box by means of the locking extensions, even when the closure flap ,is-openedto the fullest extent, thereby insuring that the package is .easily closed by a swinging movement of the closure flap and the easy insertion of the lip 28 inside the top partof the front wall 14. As has been indicated, the lockingextensions 40 and 43 effect this result by maintaining the outer faces of the auxiliary flaps coplanar with the inner faces of the inner thicknesses 19 and 20 respectively of the side walls.

To open the box, the free end of the pull tape 48 is pulled, thereby drawing the packet 12 toward the top of the box. During the movement of the packet, its upper end engages the closure flap 27 and swings said flap about the fold line 34 toward its open position, shown in Fig. 2. The lip 28, when secured to the closure flap at its side edges where it meets the auxiliary flaps, serves as a stop to engage the rear top part of the packet and prevents the packet from being further withdrawn after the closure flap is fully open. After enough cigarettes have been removed from the packet, therelatively loose top layer of cigarettes may slide out of the packet past the ,lip for easy withdrawal as shown in 'Fig. 4. Where thersides of thelip 28 are freeand unsecured. as in Fig. 5, the entire packet-may readily be-pulled as farout of the box as desired, the lipyielding andmoving 'outof the way under the pressure of the .packet.

Where the widened extensions 44, 45 are employed as shown in Fig. 6, movement of the packet to open the closure flap also move the extensions into their operative positions wherein they are coplanar with their respective side flaps. It will be understood that the packet is sufficiently loose Within the box to move under a relatively and closed without excessive manipulation, and is relatively strong with regard to the thicknessand amount of paper used therein by reason of the employment of the auxiliary side flaps and the like.

While certain specific forms .of the invention have ..herein been shown and described, various obvious changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a one-piece cigarette box having a front wall,

. an inner side fiap at each side edge of the front wall, a

rear will, an outer side flap at eachsjide edge of the rear wall and arbottom wall integrally connecting the lower edges ,of ,the front and rear walls, a closure fiap extendingfrom the upper edge of the ,rear wall, auxiliary side .closure flaps each extending from a side edge of the closure flap and being severed from the adjacent outer side flaps, a lip extending from the closure flap, and a locking extension at the upper edge of each innerside flap projecting beyond the upper edge of the front wall and each arranged to engage the outer face of one of the auxiliary flaps and thereby maintaining said outer face coplanar with theinner face of said inner side flap.

2. The cigarette box of claim .1, each of the auxiliary flaps being in the form of a quadrantal sector.

3. The cigarette box of claim 1, each of the locking extensions having a terminal inclined edge.

4. Thecigarette .box of claim 1, a cigarette packet normally within the box and a pull tape secured to the packet and projecting beyond the box whereby with- .drawal movement of the packet through the tape opens the closure flap.

S. In a one-piece cigarette box having an open end closable by a closure flap and having side walls of double thickness, auxiliary side flaps at each side edge of the closure flap, and means for maintaining the outer faces of the auxiliary flaps in engagement with and coplanar with the respective inner faces of the side walls when the closure flap is fully open, each of the auxiliary flaps-being quadrantal and being severed from the outer of the thicknesses of a side wall, the auxiliaryfiap maintaining means comprising a locking extension on the upper edge of each of the inner thicknesses of the side walls.

6. The cigarette box of claim 5, a cigarette packet normally retained by the closure ,flap within the box, and .a ,pull tape secured to the packet and extending to the outside of the box, the closure flap being opened by the packet when the packet is withdrawn ,by the tape.

7. The cigarette box of claim *5, and ,a lip extension on and secured to the closureffiap 'at right-angles thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,206,124 Meyers Nov. 28, 1916 1,648,156 Del Hoyo Nov. '8, .1927 1,977,888 Nahm et al.. Nov. 23, 1934 

